High Chief Ambassador Francis .T. Eno, National President core-oil producing communities, traditional supreme youth leader and Obong Mkparawa of Eket, is one of the respected voices in Niger Delta. In this interview with Tony Okoh, he spoke on some raging national issues.
Excerpts…
QUESTION:
How would you describe President Mohammed Buhari’s two years plus in power?
Francis: There is hope for Nigerians with the incumbent administration. What mattered most is for Nigerians to continue their solidarity and prayers for the president. This is irrespective of ethnicity or religion. The success of president Buhari’s administration is that of Nigerians.
Nigeria is the biggest economy in Africa and Nigerians must strive to sustain this position by working hard. At this stage, we should not be mindful of the political party one belongs but what we can contribute to make our Nation great. We must collectively pray together most especially now. I see light at the end of the dark tunnel.
QUESTION:
Some Nigerians are calling for the cabinet rejig at the National level to bring in more experts to work with the president. What is your take?
Francis: People have their opinions and views on any issue. Just like we know that it took Mr. President sometime to assemble the people working presently with him, I think he is in a better position to know when to reshuffle his cabinet because he took time to look at the antecedents of those serving under him now. The issue of any changes in the cabinet at the moment is purely his prerogative and the buck stops at his table. What I think is that rather than rhetorics, Nigerians should pray to God always to guide the President to make sound decisions at all time s for the benefit of the Nation.
QUESTION:
Some Nigerian still believe that the Anti-corruption war of Mr. President is one-sided. Do you share this position?
Francis: I stand for a corrupt free society. If we can achieve a corrupt free society, Nigerian will be a great Nation and we will achieve so much as a people within a shortest possible time. But my humble suggestion is that the Anti-corruption war should be taken beyond ex-Governors and Ministers, to the Local Government level. The Agencies should beam its searchlight on Ex council chairmen and commissioners in the last sixteen years and possibly bring them to give account of their stewardship. If you take time to look at the impunity going on at the local government level, you will cry for Nigeria. At the local level, you find people who stayed less than three years in government and start living in opulence with mansion worth millions of naira. Some of them entered government without any known business before and under few years, they own mansion in major cities across the world. We have politicians who operated at the local level and enriched themselves beyond well-known business men of many years standing. We need to overhaul the entire process. Let the Ant-corruption war start at the grassroots then to the state and federal level and positive change will come. When loopholes for dubious accumulation of wealth are sealed the rush for positions at that level will drastically reduce. People see government as an avenue to grab cheap money and that nation must be stopped. A situation where people who have never achieved anything in life suddenly join government and in few years become billionaire is a dangerous trend for any society desirous of development and progress. It’s a worrisome trend here. While I commend president Buhari for the job well done so far, I think the Anti-corruption war should start with the last 17 year of our democracy.
QUESTION:
You are a stakeholder in Akwa Ibom State project are you satisfied with the performance of the state governor in the last two years?
Francis: I am very happy with the performance so far posted by deacon Udom Gabriel Emmanuel’s administration, I worked assiduously to ensure the governor came on board and he has not disappointed us. He has laid a very good foundation for the industrialization of the state. In the three senatorial districts of the state so much is going on from the electric meter industry to coconut industry to the car plant among others. industrialization is a process, not an event. Akwa Ibom people need to encourage their governor to do more. He is building industrial parks across several council areas in the state. We are lucky to have a sound economic manager as a Governor at the stage of our statehood. He has shown that he is capable to move the state to the next level and Akwa Ibom people are happy for his extra ordinary performance.
High Chief Francis Eno
QUESTION: How would you rate the new NDDC board after one year in office, do you see them alleviating the plight of the people of the Niger Delta.
Francis: On NDDC board, we have square pegs on square holes. Mr. Nsima Ekere is an accomplished businessman and a compassionate fellow who will address the problems of the under development in the region. The same with the chairman of the board Senator Victor Ndoma Egba and other members of the board.
I must appreciate President Mohammadu Buhari for painstakingly choosing people of impeccable character and integrity to the board. Obong Nsima Ekere will turn around the fortunes of the region using NDDC. His wealth of experience as an outstanding entrepreneur, technocrat and businessman will enable him leave a footprint in the sands of time. The Board Chairman, Senator Victor Ndoma Egba also has great antecedents and he is a goal getter, a humble politician, and team player. His combination with Nsima Ekere will put smiles on the faces of the people of the region in years ahead.
We youth leaders in the Niger Delta will partner the NDDC to train our teeming youths in ICT, Telecommunication Development and other forms of Skill Acquisition programmes to support total peace and normalcy in the Niger Delta.
QUESTION:
You have been in the vanguard of ensuring peace in Eket Nation through community policing efforts, why this zeal?.
Francis: As a traditional youth leader, one of my mandates is to ensure peaceful co-existence among my people and to guarantee peace in a region like ours that is occasionally restive we must ensure adequate and total security in our communities. I have worked over the years with the police force and have come to appreciate their patriotism and love for our country. Starting from the Inspector General Alhaji Mohammed kpotun Idris a core professional officer through the D.I.G’s and A.I.G’s, to our police commissioner in Akwa Ibom. I can say that Nigerian is blessed with intelligent and pro-active police officers the same applies to the rank and files.
If you go through records you will appreciate the fact that my state Akwa Ibom once produced an Inspector General of Police in the person of late Etim Inyang who passed on recently. He brought a lot of reforms to the force. After him, we have not been lucky to have another I.G but we have lots of distinguished officers who have excelled in the force. The incumbent Inspector General kpotun Idris is such a patriotic fellow, cultured, disciplined, hardworking and intelligent police officer with great potentials. I appealed Nigerians to encourage people like that to continue to lift professionalism in the force. He listens and cares. You can see his prompt action on SARS matter demanded by Nigerians
Until you get closer to our police force then you will understand that the force has some of the most intelligent and committed officers in the world. We need to encourage and appreciate what they are doing for us to have peace and security in our communities.
QUESTION:
You are a respected traditional youth leader in the Niger Delta region, what are your people doing to help curb restiveness in your region.
Francis: Though the problem in the Niger Delta region is a complex one, there is hope for permanent and realistic solutions if the government desires to address the challenges. First Niger Delta region produces the resources which the Nation enjoys but the region and her people lives in abject poverty. The problem of Niger Delta did not start with the incumbent administration, the degradation of her environment had been ongoing for decades but we must look for solutions. As a youth leader, I have been networking with several other youth leaders to preach peace in the region. We must encourage dialogue to address the problems. Violence will only worsen the already bad situation. Bombing and blowing up of pipelines will only destroy further our already bad ecosystem. When the nation is talking about returning to Agriculture which land will the Niger Delta people cultivate? We must begin to reason positively and embrace the dialogue offered by the President. We must embrace dialogue to move the region out of her present predicament. We are appealing to the youths to drop their Arms and get better empowerment package. Government must sincerely and genuinely resolve the Niger Delta crisis through massive development of the region, empowerment of the indigenes and restoration of the already battered environment. We as youth leaders will complement government efforts by appealing to our brothers to see reasons why we must work with government to protect not just our future but that of our coming generation.
.
QUESTION: what is your parting words of advice for youths of the Niger Delta particularly Akwa Ibom youths.
Francis: Our youths must understand that peace is the language the world is longing for not violence. They should always be patient and use dialogue and negotiations to get results of whatever they sought for. Our youths must show respect and reverence to our leaders be it political, traditional or religious leaders. Akwa Ibom state, in particular, has been blessed by great leaders, most recently is senator Godswill Akpabio the Senate minority leader. A man like Akpabio should be celebrated daily by our people rather than vilifying him. He changed completely the psyche of an average Akwa Ibom man and completely eradicated the houseboy syndrome from our lives. His eight years in Akwa Ibom state sojourn is a story for another day. I weep whenever I see people who should be celebrating his heroic acts spending energy to run him down. Senator Godswill Akpabio is God’s special gift for Akwa Ibom people and Nigerians.
